Didsbury High School Proposed free school – opening September 2019 Report on Section 10 public consultation th nd 6 November 2017-22 December 2017 laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 1 of 18 Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................... 3 The proposer group ............................................................................................................... 4 Initial phase ........................................................................................................................... 4 Statutory consultation ............................................................................................................ 6 Stakeholders ......................................................................................................................... 7 Statutory consultation results and responses ........................................................................ 9 Conclusion and next steps .................................................................................................. 18 Appendices: Appendix 1 – Section 10 consultation information booklet Appendix 2 – Consultation questionnaire Appendix 3 – Promotional material Appendix 4 – Stakeholders laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 2 of 18 Executive summary Didsbury High School is a non-selective, non-denominational 11-18 secondary school in the pre-opening phase with a preferred opening date of September 2019. The school will be part of the Laurus Trust, a multi- academy trust that operates Cheadle Hulme High School and Gorsey Bank Primary School. This report details the initial engagement with our stakeholders as well as the formal Section 10 consultation. Didsbury High School will provide outstanding teaching and a curriculum which develops essential knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits, together with access to wide ranging opportunities for subject enhancement. These will combine to ensure that every child at Didsbury High School is in a position to make outstanding progress and open the door to the future of their choice. The initial engagement period with stakeholders began in February 2016 when the Laurus Trust commenced discussions with Manchester City Council regarding the opening of a new free school. John Edwards, former Director of Education at Manchester City Council identified Didsbury as an area where basic need was at a critical level. The Council were therefore fully supportive of the Trust’s bid which gained 1st stage approval in the Wave 11 free school round in September 2016. The formal statutory consultation ran from 6th November 2017 to 22nd December 2017. The consultation ran concurrently with a pre-planning application consultation with the local community. The planning application was submitted in December 2017. The local community has responded very positively throughout this period, however we recognise the concerns raised by some about traffic and the perceived impact on neighbouring schools. We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to give feedback. Suggestions and comments have been considered, responded to in this document and incorporated into our planning proposals. laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 3 of 18 The proposer group The Laurus Trust is a multi-academy trust with Cheadle Hulme High School (“CHHS”), the founder school, at its centre. CHHS is a hugely oversubscribed academy converter, a Teaching School and has been judged Outstanding in every category by Ofsted in 2011 and 2015. In the 2017 Progress 8 Headline measure CHHS came in the top 3% of all schools nationally and ranked 1st in the North West for fully comprehensive non-denominational state schools in the Sunday Times Parent Power Survey. An impressive 68% of our 2017 GCSE cohort achieved the gold standard of grade 5 or better in English and Maths. The progress for disadvantaged students is a quarter of a grade higher than the whole national cohort. We have been supporting schools across Greater Manchester since 2012 when we first gained our Teaching School status. This is through the deployment of our Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) who share best practice and ideas with these schools in order to raise overall attainment. To date we have supported 30 secondary schools across various local authorities. In November 2017, our teacher training provider Altius Alliance was judged Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted having “developed a clear vision for excellence producing outstanding secondary teachers in the English Baccalaureate subjects”. Our vision For everyone regardless of background or circumstance to be inspired, to thrive in all environments, to recognise what it takes to succeed, to set aspirational goals and work hard to achieve them. The vision is shared across all schools in the Laurus Trust and is reflected in every aspect of school life. Initial phase The Laurus Trust were informed of their successful bid to open a new free school in September 2016. In deciding to submit a bid the Trust undertook various stakeholder discussions. Methods used to reach stakeholders in advance of the formal consultation included: Extensive discussions with the Local Authority, including the Director of Education. At these meetings Manchester CC indicated full support for the free school due to the need for additional school places. Meetings with Manchester councillors in Spring 2017. laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 4 of 18 Meetings with local businesses and the West Didsbury Residents Association. Meetings with headteachers of local primary schools. A dedicated free school website: www.didsburyhighschool.org.uk A twitter feed: @DidsburyHigh A Facebook page for Didsbury High School. The ESFA informed the Laurus Trust of the preferred site for the proposed new school in January 2017. laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 5 of 18 Statutory consultation The statutory section 10 consultation commenced on 6th November 2017 and ran for 7 weeks to 22nd December 2017. Information provided to stakeholders took the following forms: 1. Public consultation booklet (please see Appendix 1). This booklet was made available in digital and printed form and detailed the Proposer Group, key individuals, the vision, ethos and proposal for the new school and key information on the consultation process. It also provided information on how stakeholders could give feedback as well as come to face to face meetings to have their questions answered and share their views. 2. Laurus Trust and Didsbury High School websites carried information about the proposed school, the consultation process, a downloadable consultation booklet as well as an online questionnaire to complete. 3. 16,000 leaflets were distributed to residents in the Didsbury area highlighting the consultation drop-in events on 23rd and 30th November. Digital versions of the leaflet were circulated to parents by Beaver Road, Cavendish, Old Moat, Didsbury CE, West Didsbury CE and St Wilfred’s Primary Schools. 4. Emails sent to headteachers of primary and secondary schools and colleges in Manchester detailing information about the consultation events and a link to a digital version of the consultation booklet. 5. Consultation meetings. The Head of School Designate and other senior Laurus Trust staff attended events at the Siemens building on the evening of 23rd November and at the Albert Club on the morning of 30th November. Various presentations were shown about the Trust and our existing schools and c350 people attended both events. 6. Meeting with local ward councillors on 22nd November. 18 councillors were invited to events at both Cheadle Hulme High School (am) and the Siemens building (pm) to meet senior Trust staff and view our proposals. 7. Meeting with headteachers, staff and parents at local primary schools: Beaver Road, Cavendish and Old Moat in November 2017. Meeting with a trustee of West Didsbury CE Primary school on 22nd November. 8. Meetings and telephone conversations with local businesses and community groups. 9. Regular Facebook and Twitter updates throughout the consultation period reminding stakeholders of the consultation. (See the appendices for further information on the above) laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 6 of 18 Stakeholders A wide range of stakeholders were consulted including: Local parents and carers; Local residents; Headteachers, governors and staff at Manchester primary and secondary schools; 18 Manchester councillors whose wards were in the vicinity of the proposed school; Relevant employees of Manchester CC Local community groups. Further details are provided in Appendix 4. The following page details the multiple methods of consultation deployed across the wide range of stakeholders. laurustrust.co.uk 26 January 18 Page 7 of 18 Stakeholder Method of consultation deployed Key dates Responses Parents/Carers of prospective Email announcement sent to all those who had registered interest (205). 23/11/17 and 124 questionnaire responses. students Consultation booklet and online questionnaire available on website. 30/11/17 About 350 attendees at the events. Two public consultation events. Twitter: 15 tweets with a total of 20,820 impressions and 1,464 16,000 leaflets put through letterboxes in West Didsbury / Didsbury/ engagements (retweets, likes, follows etc.). Withington area. Facebook: 17 posts with a total reach of 5,344 people and 170 Email reminders sent to the mailing list ahead of the events, as well as social likes, comments and shares.